Master lever



A. R. LOCKE Oct. 6, 1931.

MASTER LEVER Filed sept. 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l oct. 6, 1931. A, R LOCKE 1,826,079

MASTER LEVER med sept.. ze. 1928 2 sheets-sheep 2 Patented (1ct. 6, 1931 'STATES PAT-ENT QEFICE ,ALBERT R. LDCKE, OF OAKPARK, ILLINOIS MASTER LEVER Application led September 28, 1928.

rThis invention relates to improvements in a master lever, and more particularly t` a.

master lever tor selectively actuating a plurality of spaced shafts, whichv leverV is highly kdesirable for controllingbanks of dimmers in a switchboard, although the same has many vand varieduses as-Will be apparent to one skilled in theart.

ln. the past, various levers and means have been employedtopermit the manual opera- .tioirof bankswof dimmersin a switchboard iiiistallation,- but these formerly known means have proved objectionable inmost casesin that they did not incorporatemeans for rendering the mechanical actuating elements inoperative, and if such means were incorporated` in some part of a switchboard, they Were fnotsutliciently.rapid in;tlieir actionY nor as intimately associated- Withfthe manual conj trol means ask has been yfoundwdesirable. vlvloreover, in switchboard installations heretofore lrnoivn7 a plurality of manual controls -for the saineset of dimmer banks Were utilized in most instancesdue to the fact that it has been liound desirable Jthat certainsoff the dimmerbanks rotated insone direction and ythe remainder ini the oppositefdirection. i A ,multiplicity of master levers or thelile, obviously occupies valuable space iny switchboard, and this use or' a multiplicity ofmanual controls is very frequently extremely inconvenient when a predeterminedsize has been .tif-:ed for ythe installation.

The present invention is designed to overcome tbe above-noted as Well as other defects and objections in the provision of a master lever for actuating a plurality of spaced shafts. and `connected thereto in such a inanner that certain of the shafts may be rotated in ene direction thereby, and the others may rotate sinuiltaneously therewith in the opposite direction.

lThe invention also iseels to `providea inaster lever for actuating a pluralityy otspaced .shafts andr includingmeans for easily and Serial No. 309,115.

quickly rendering ,the mechanical means in- .operative A further objectofthe present invention is to provide a master lever for manualoper- 4ation which is easilyand quickly adjustable so as to provide additional leverage for ythe operator.

Another object ofthepresent invention is to provide a master lever, for .actuating.a plurality of spacedshafts and mountedimsuch a imanner that the same maybeleft 1in any desired positionv and automatically pickedzup by-or, connected to mechanical ,driving means after the latter hasbeen set Vin motion.

l/Vhile some of the more salient-I features, character-istics,.and advantages,.of the device embodying principles of thepresent,i nven tion,l have been pointed out others.wyill become apparent froingthe followingvdisclosures.

The invention includes-.theserand other .features of construction and combinations ,by the staggered line II'II` offFigure 1.

Figure 8 isan enlarged fragmentary/part sectional, part elevational view of a vdevice and connecting means therefor embodying principles of the presentinvention.

Figure 4y is a fragmentary.sectional view taken `substantially ras indicated by v vline IV-IV or' Figure 8.

Figure 5 is atransversesectional View i taken substantially as indicated by llineV-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a transversersectional.View

CII

Cil

taken substantially as indicated by line Vl-VI of Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The structure arbitrarily selected for the purpose of disclosing an embodiment of the present invention includes a structural frame 1 of a switchboard, comprising the usual horizontal and upright elements suitably con nccted, the customary front panel of the switchboard being omitted from the drawA ings for the purpose of clarity.

Journalled in suitable bearings 2 on the uprights of the frame 1, are a plurality of spaced shafts 3, 4, 5, and 6, the shafts 3 and 4 being in axial alignment and the shafts 5 and 6 being in axial alignment. Between the uprights supporting the inner ends of the shafts, a pair of cross beams 7 are mounted, which support a pair of brackets 8 formed so as to provide a suitable guard for a. gear sector 9 and suitable bearings for a continuous shaft 10 ixedly connected with the hub of the sector 9. The shaft 10 may, if so desired, be a two-piece shaft with its inner ends fixedly connected with the sector hub. Then the gear sector is actuated it will obviously drive the shaft 10, and the shaft in turn drives each of the shafts 3, el, 5, and (i, or any desired ones thereof, simultaneously by means of various linkages and connections to be hereinafter described. As viewed in Figure 1, the structure on the left side of the gear sector 9 is identical, with the exception of reversed order, with the structure on the right side of the sector, and so it is only deemed necessary to describe one such portion herein.

Taking now the structure to the left of the sector 9, as viewed in Figure 1, there is shown a crank 11 fixed to the shaft 10. A link 12 is pivoted at one end to the arm of the crank 11 and at the other end to the arm of a crank 13, extending substantially parallel to the crank 11, and floating on the shaft 5. Also floating on the shaft 5 and fixedly connected to the crank 13 is a semiedisk meniber 14 having an integral crank arm 15 extending therefrom and pivoted to one end of a substantially vertical link 16, which is siniilarly pivotally connected at an intermediate point therealong to a second semi-disk mem-- ber 14a, floating upon the shaft 3.

Also keyed to the shaft 10 is a crank 1T, having its arm extending at an angle to the arm of crank 11. A link 18 is pivotally connected at one end to the arm of crank 17, and at the other end thereof to the arm of a crank 19, which fioats upon the shaft 3. This crank 19 through means to be later described herein and a fixed clutch 2O engaged in a cam 2l, all ioating on the shaft 3, drives a semi-disk member 22 which is fixedly connected to the aforesaid cam Q1 and also floats on the sha ft 3. The semi-disk member 22 is connected by crank arms` to a substantially vertical link Q3 which is connected at the lower end thereof to a second semi-disk member 22a, which floats upon the shaft 5. It should be noted that the link 18 in effect passes between the shafts 10 and 3, the arms of the cranks 17 and 19 extending in opposite directions, so that shaft 10 will drive the semi-disk members 22 and 22a in a direction opposite to the motion of the shaft 10.

It will be apparent, therefore, that when the sector 9 is driven by means of a hand wheel 24, mounted on a shaft 25 which also supports a worm wheel 26 in mesh with the sector 9, the vertical link 16 will move in a direction opposite to that of the link 23. In other words, the semi-disks 14 and 14a, turn in a direction opposite to that of the semidisks 22 and 22a, when the mechanism is driven through the sector 9.

Mounted between the semi-disk members 14 and 22a and keyed to the shaft 5 is a submaster lever housing 27 equipped with a handle 28 having thereon a. pair of oppositely spaced plungers Q9 and 30 respectively, both engaged adjacent their outer ends by a cam 31, so that by transversely turning the handle 2S in the desired direction, the cam 31 will permit either the plungers 29 or 30 to dro i into a. slot or notch 32 (Figure in the senndisk members 14 or 22a respectively, to thereby cause the handle 28 and housing 27 to move in the same direction with the respective semidisk member. It will be apparent, therefore, that the handle 28 may be caused to move up or down as desired, depending upon which semi-disk member it is connected to. A submaster lever housing 27a equipped with a handle 28a is also keyed to the shaft 3 between the semi-disk members 14a and 22, which of course are driven in the same direction as their respective semi-disk members 14 and 22a thru the links 16 and 23. If so desired, the handle 28 may be connected to the semi-disk 14 and the handle 28a connected to the semidisk 22, thereby causing both handles to move in opposite directions, or the sub-master lever handles may each be set in neutral position, not connected to either of their respective semi-disk members for manual actuation.

In this instance, a series or bank of dimmer handles 46 is mounted upon the shaft 3, there being as many handles to a bank as desired, and each handle embodies any desired means for locking the same to the shaft to cause it to rotate therewith or to disconnect it from the shaft leaving it floating thereon, for individual manual rotation of the handle. A similar bank of dimmer handles 47 is mounted upon the shaft 5. Each of the handles 46 and 47 may be of the customary type of dimmer handle or preferably of the type described and disclosed in my copending application for dimmer handle, tiled under even date herewith, Serial No. 309,116. Of course, there may he as many verti fally spaced banks bers, disposed one'vonfeach sidethereof.` As

ilfliistratedin thepresent instance, it is; understood that each of the-handles'46 and 47 control through proper connection a rheostator theater dini-mer not shown in the drawings.

It frequently becomes desirable to have all of the dimmer handles of all the banks including thosehandles controlled by the upright link 16 and those controlled by the upright link 23 to move in the same'direction Without changing the individual adjustment of any of the dimmer handles or sub-master levers. Again, occasions may arise where rapid action of the dimmer handles is necessary and the slow motion provided by the hand Wheel 24 is not adequate. Novel means have been herein provided therefore, for disconnecting the driving means for the vertical link 23 from the slow motion drive and for actuating link 23 in as rapid a fashion as desired manually. These means include a master lever 33 (Figures 1 and 2) which is selectively engageable with the crank 19 floating on the shaft 3, and which may be used to actuate the vertical link 23 in either direction.

Now with reference to Figures 3 to 6 inelusive, it will be seen that the master lever embodies a tubular element l34, one end of which extends within a suitable aperture 35 in the fixed clutch 2() and is preferably secured therein by the pin 35a. This clutch is also provided with a relatively large transverse recess 36 to accommodate a portion of the hub of the crank 19 so that a notch 37 in the hub of the crank 19 Will underlie the tube 34. Slidable within the tube 34 is a plunger 38 having a reduced shank 39 thereon, the outer end of which is secured to a handle 40 in any desired manner, or as shown by the pin 4l passing through the handle. Adjacent the outer end thereof, the tube 34 is provided with an internal collar 42 secured to thetube in any desired manner, or as shown by the set screws 43. As seen more clearly in Figure 5, the set screws 43 do not quite reach the shank 39 of the plunger, so that this shank is free to slide within the collar 42. The collar 42 provides a shoulder against which one end of a coil spring 44, which embraces the shank 39 of the plunger, abuts, the other end of the spring abutting the plunger 38, so as to normally urge this plunger inwardly into the l, notch 37 in the crankk19, to thereby connect the fixed clutch 2() with the crank 19. To retract the plunger 38 from the notch 37, it is simply necessary to exert an outward pull upon the handle 40, thereby sliding the plung- Q er against the action of the spring 44, and the plunger may be secured in any outwardly extended position by means of a thumbfset screw 45, which is threadedlyengaged 'in the tube 34 and collar42 trans\fersely to the set screws43.

In operation the present invention is relativelysimple. Assuming now that various dimmer handles are connected so as to be driven bythe vertical link 16,'and other dirnmerhandlfes are connected so as to be driven i through the vertical link 23, all `by the' hand wheel 24, and that it is desired to disc'om'ie'ct the slow motion drive through the hand wheel 24 and actuate those dimmers connected to yvertic al link23 by hand, it is sim plyl ynecessary to pull ontward-ly` upon thefhandle 40' until theplunger 387 is retracted fromthe notch 37 in crank 19",-then lock the shfank-39of the plunger in this-positionw'iththe set screw45 and actufate thevertical link 23tog'etl1'er'with the di miners connected thereto by the master lever 33in either direction. Of course, with a pluralityof banks of diinmers, considerable arm pressure is required by the operator to manually actuate'the dimmer handles' driven i by vertical link 23,' but lthis is compensated for by the fact that'th'e plunger 38"may be to vertical link 23'by the master lever V33. By f this means -both 'the vertical* flinks 16' 'and may be made to'movein the samed'irection, either both up or bot-h Vdownas the case may be, and those dimmer handlesI controlled by the master 'lever 33 may be' moved considerably faster or leve-n slower, if so-desire.l5,1than the 'handles controlledv by the sloivmotion drive. The masterlever obviously eliminates the laborious operationof transferring the connection of'each individual sub-master lever from the right semi-diskftothe left semidiskand when it is desired to discontinue the manual -acti'iationof the lever33, the thumb screw 45 may be -released,allowin g the plunger 38 to press against the outer surf-aceof the crank '19',Uwhereby when the slow motion drive is put in operation through the hand wheel 24, the spring 44 will force the plunger 38 into notch 37 when'thelatter reaches the proper position, therebyestablishing conncc vtionfbetween the crank 19 and the fixed clutch 2() so' that the vertical link 23 may be again operated through the slow motion" drive. The p'ositionof the notch 37'is made knotvlito the operator at all times by' meansOf'any suitable indicator 4:3, which projects through the :trout panel ot' the switch board. Of cours-e, other and various driving conil'iinations tor the dimmer handles may be de veloped by the use ot one or a number of the master levers 33, and hand wheel 2i, and the sub-master levers, but it is thought that sutiicient has been described herein for the purpose of clarity.

Although the master lever and the various linkages combined therewith in the present ase have been described as embodied with banks ot' dimmer-s in a switchboard of the type commonly used in theaters, it is to be understood that such driving means may be incorporated, not only with dimmers, but with various other types of current control mechanisms, and of course such other connections in similar fashion to that shown herein are Within the contemplation ot the present invention.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided a novel master lever combined With the slow mot-ion drive, which lever atiiords means ior disconnecting one section ot a two-Way drive from the slow motion means, and driving this one section in the same or opposite direction with the sections remaining in connection with the slow motion drive. The master lever also incorporates means whereby additional leverage given the operator thereof, is exceedingly simple in construction and operation, is very durable, and may be economically manutactured.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than ecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a plurality of spaced shafts, means for actuating all of said shafts siimiltaneously, a lever, means on said lever for rendering said actuating means inoperative, and means for actuating said shafts through said lever.

Q. In combination, driving means including` elements movable in opposite directions, means for selectively connecting dimmer handles to either ot said elements to be driven thereby, and means for disconnecting one ot' said elements from said driving means and actuating said element in either direction.

3. In combination, means for driving a pair ot elements in opposite directions, means 'for selectively connecting dimmer handles to either of said elements to be driven thereby, and a master lever operable for disconnecting one of said elements from said irsts mentioned means and driving said elelnent Illinois.

ALBERT R. LOCKE. 

